Whispers Of The Immortals
by FoxCort24
Summary: After the events at Ric and Jo's tragic wedding, everyone begins to piece back together their shattered lives, despite unrelenting havoc to those closest to the Salvatore brothers. (Alternative ending to season 6, no sleeping spell)
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

 _July 22_ _nd_ _, 2015_

 _Dear Diary,_

 _It's happened again. Another life lost in Mystic Falls and no one has any idea who is behind it. Rather than allow himself to grieve, Ric has poured his every ounce into this mystery. For him, it's a better alternative than facing what happened._

 _With Kai and Katherine gone, we are short on suspects._

 _First, it was Eliza Fell who worked with Jer at the Grill, then Patti Marin who was friends with Jenna, and just last week, Sam Clearwater. I don't understand. The senselessness of death. They were too young to die. What's the connection? Is there a connection? Are we so fashioned after the past few years to immediately believe there must be some ulterior, supernatural motive?_

 _People die all the time._

 _I died._

 _Any leads we've had, fizzled out before we had a chance to further investigate a connection to all three. Damon's philosophy continues to be, 'rip the heart out now, ask questions later.' He's actually been pained for Ric, using this as a way to keep him busy, empathizing with him in a way I haven't seen before. Almost as if he's_ human _. We haven't had a conversation about_ that _since the wedding. After I healed from Kai's attack, life was almost immediately interrupted by a string of unsolved murders. I know Damon wants to talk to me about it, but doesn't seem to be able to find the words. Stefan wonders if there is peace in death, since we certainly aren't getting any now._

With a sigh, Elena closed her diary and set it off to the side. Absently, she fiddled with her necklace and reached for her phone. The keyboard clicked softly as she began to text Damon.

- _Where are you?_

 _-With Ric at the Grill. Don't worry, not too drunk._

 _-Not worried. He needs the distraction._

 _-Meet at my place in an hour?_

 _-Love to_

As she received his winky-faced text that followed with a string of suggestive emojis, Elena giggled and grabbed her jacket. Before she had a chance to step out the door, she received another text, this time from Caroline.

- _Busy? Could use your opinion. I'm at my house._

Deciding she had enough time before she met up with Damon, Elena paused and replied.

 _-_ _Be there as quick as my puny human legs can carry me._

As Elena tucked her phone into her back pocket and grabbed her keys, she felt a sudden strong sense of déjà vu. Her energy had not entirely returned since transforming back into a human, and the adjustment was taking longer than she would have preferred, but it was ultimately better than the alternative. Odd aches and pains plagued her, along with the fatigue, and now she noted this new, unwanted side effect. She hadn't felt like herself since taking the cure, but she never once regretted her decision, even if it meant she would lose Damon for it. It was her choice, not his, and she'd be damned if she would allow him to make a choice of mortality that would lead him to eventually resent her. Climbing into her car and turning over the engine, she clicked on the radio and headed for Caroline's.

* * *

"Care?" Elena called out as she stepped inside the house. Her attention was always initially drawn to the picture on the front bureau of Caroline and Elizabeth. She was taken aback by how the pain was still there, it was a loss that cut her deeply and resonated with her own lost mother. It was still a fresh wound. Breaking her gaze from the photo, she craned her neck up the stairs, and tried again, "Caroline? It's me!"

Hearing a thud above, she began to head upstairs, "Please tell me you're not up there with Stefan," she groaned, "I mean, I'm okay with that, I'm just not okay _seeing_ that." Stepping down the hall, she felt an unease creep along her spine and send shivers across her body. She hadn't felt a sense of urgency like that since their last encounter with Kai. "I'm getting a little creeped out Caroline, you know I don't like surprises."

The door at the end of the hallway was slightly ajar, catching Elena's attention. If Caroline was playing a game, she wasn't thrilled by the idea. "Just come out," she sighed.

"Care?" Gently nudging the door open, Elena's breath hitched in her throat as she felt a hot sweep of panic streak across her body. Her heart nearly stopped. In the dim light, she saw Caroline's body in the middle of the room on the floor, her expressionless face was ashen, and a wooden stake was jutting from her chest.

Elena's scream echoed down the hallway as a hooded figure smiled and quietly left.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Damon gently swirled the scotch in the crystal baccarat and threw it back before turning to Ric, "the liquor has gone cheap." As it kicked in his throat, he inhaled sharply. Reaching over the bar, he grabbed the stash of Macallan. Once replenished, they clinked glasses in a toast. "Breakfast of champions."

"Is it still considered breakfast if its past noon and you didn't sleep last night?" Ric downed the contents and it smoothly warmed him, cutting back at the edge slowly forming from his day's agenda. Smirking, he turned the glass over in his hand and couldn't help but add, "brings back memories."

Damon nodded and turned his attention towards his phone, clicking through his messages swiftly. "We need to find this guy, Ric. Three unexplained deaths in Mystic Falls brings unwanted attention to us sups, if you catch my drift. Plus, if it's not me causing the mischief, that means someone else is vying for my position around here, and we can't have that either."

Ric stiffened and rolled his eyes. "Careful, your morality is showing. I know you were friends with Sam too."

"I don't have friends; I tolerate. You're just an exception. However, I didn't want the guy dead."

Setting the empty glass back on the bar, Ric sighed. "What am I going to do, Damon?"

"You're asking the wrong guy." His gaze forward, he tactfully chose his words, "Remember, I'm the kind of guy that'll turn it all off when things go sour. I'm not a strong one in crisis. But you are, Ric. You'll navigate through this."

"I'm not so sure."

"Hey, I've seen you here before," a stunning blonde sauntered over to Damon and Ric, leaning against the bar, her arm brushing against Damon's. "I'm Callie, I started working here last week, and my shift just ended." Eyeing him provocatively, she glanced towards Ric and winked. "What do you guys do around here for fun?"

Turning, Damon's gaze locked with hers, "Not you," his compulsion flexed, "You're a few years too late with me, and my buddy over there is unavailable at the moment. Collect your daily tips for today and leave, before I decide I want to pair my liquor with your carotid artery."

Dazed, she scoffed and slapped Damon across the face, "Asshole." Storming off, she slammed her tray on the caddy and burst into the back room.

Stunned, Damon turned to Ric, "Am I losing my touch?"

Swirling the remaining remnants of his drink, Ric arched a brow, "Vervain?"

Damon turned and looked around the Grill suspiciously, "Someone's tapped the town. Lovely."

"Well, this just escalated things. We better let the others know. Next time you might try to compel the wrong person."

Testing his theory, Damon reached over the bar again and filled a glass with water from the soda fountain. Hesitantly, he poured a small stream over his hand and was instantly greeted with the sizzle of scalding skin. Wincing, Damon hissed and snatched back his hand, shaking off the droplets until his skin healed.

Damon took out his phone and dialed Stefan, waiting anxiously as it rang, and as he answered, Damon interrupted the pleasantries, "Hold off on the magic tricks, brother, someone's poisoned the watering hole. Yeah, I'll explain later. Call everyone, I'm going to get Elena, she's meeting me back at the house." Ending the call, he turned back to Ric, "Hate to cut our brunch short, but we need to deal with this. Looks like our murderer was just upgraded to a supernatural predator as well." Before he could slide his phone back into his pocket, it rang.

As the screen lit with _Elena_ , he smirked, "Hey, I was just leaving to meet you, we have-"

Ric turned as Damon's words halted and watch his expression diminish. Something was wrong, terribly wrong. He began to stand and started following Damon out of the Grill before even knowing what was happening.

As they exited the restaurant, he overheard Damon's soothing tone, "Just stay there, I'll be right there … I'll be right there." Turning to Ric, his eyes crested in sorrow, "Caroline's dead."

"What-!?" Before he could regain his balance, Damon was gone, leaving Ric in a gust of wind as he rushed off to Elena.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Within moments, Damon stepped through the open door at Caroline's. Careful not to touch anything, he hesitantly moved through the doorway and surveyed the scene. No sign of struggle, no appearance of anything being off. "Elena?" He called out urgently as the smell of death slowly filled his senses. He heard her shaky, weak reply from upstairs, and swiftly moved to her, entering the back bedroom and gathering her in his arms. Her hands were covered in blood from feebly trying to revive Caroline and her shirt was soaked from tears that continued tumble down her cheeks. "Hey, I'm here, I'm here," as he held her, he turned her away from the scene.

Through her sobs, Elena managed to explain, "Damon, she just texted me – she, she, wanted me to come by, and when I walked in and she didn't answer, I came up here, and-" As another round of anguish swept her body, she buried her face in Damon's chest, and wept. As he held her in his arms, he did his best to soothe her, stroking her hair and tightly reassuring her she was not alone. "It's Caroline, Damon, Caroline."

"I know," he responded with a frown, looking down at the motionless body next to them, "we'll find who did this, and I'll rip their heart out. Come on." He gently took her hand in his, and led her out of the room and downstairs onto a couch. Cupping her checks in his palms, he brushed away the tears with his thumbs and waited until her breathing slowed and the terror lessened in her eyes. "I can make it go away, Elena. I can take care of it."

As she realized he was offering to compel the pain away, she shook her head and turned away, "No Damon, I can't erase this, I can't do that to her."

"And I can't sit here and watch you suffer like this, Elena. Let me help."

"I need to hold on to this, I need to use this to find out who did this to her. To all the others. She's another name on the list now, Damon. Caroline. Our Caroline." Another wave of agony caused her eyes to brim with tears. Damon pulled her to him again, kissed her forehead, and held her firmly.

His attention turned abruptly and she felt him tense. She eventually heard what he had heard; a car pulling into the drive and someone exiting the vehicle. Damon stood and approached the door, then immediately relaxed as he saw Ric running up the walkway. "She's upstairs." With a nod, Ric glanced at Elena before heading up to the bedroom.

Turning back to Elena, he felt useless. There was nothing he could do to make this better for her, to fix it. Never mind the fact he was mourning his friend as well, he knew this would forever change Elena, just as losing her parents had done. He needed to take care of this for her, he needed to make it right again in whatever way possible. Lifting her off the couch, he held her close as her hands wrapped around his neck. She looked up at him broken, her eyes tormented and devastated. "Come on, let's get you back to the house."

* * *

Upon returning to the Salvatore estate, he set her down on the couch and sat beside her, absently clearing a few stray strands of hair from her face. Brushing away fresh tears that streaked her face, he sighed and offered a weak, reassuring smile. 'Too close,´ he thought dismally, 'whoever this bastard is could have taken her too.' The idea sliced through his core and left him uneasy. Damn, this was so much easier when one only loves themselves. Being self-absorbed and isolated had its perks.

As if reading his thoughts, Elena sniffled, "What if the killer wanted me to find her? What if they were the one to text me using her phone?"

Damon licked his lips and looked towards the bar, suddenly craving a shot of whiskey. "Then that would mean we're dealing with a much larger problem. Someone with an agenda or game that happens to feature you, and we can't have that." Standing, he went to the bar and impulsively filled a crystal glass. Pausing just before the glass reached his lips, he smiled at thought of repeating a head removal similar to how he ended Kai. Nah, that might be too good for them. Too quick.

Pouring Elena a matching drink, he brought it to her sympathetically. "Here." Gratefully, she accepted and sipped. Feeling the smooth warmth tumble down her throat softened some of the sharp edges within her.

Elena watched Damon's attention sweep to the front door seconds before Stefan walked in. Exchanging glances, he walked in and went to her. "Stefan," she breathed softly, hugging him tightly.

"I'm sorry, Elena." Looking over her shoulder as they embraced, he exchanged knowing glances with Damon. "Caroline was something special. To all of us." His own angst would have to wait.

Fresh, hot tears began to pool in her eyes as she gripped on to him and cried. Stefan held on, giving her the solace she so desperately needed. With Stefan and Damon both there, she finally allowed herself to relax and grieve. Damon moved towards the fireplace and absently poked at the embers, attempting to rekindle a flame. "I suppose this goes without saying, but have we considered the Travelers? Hell, our _mother_?"

Rubbing Elena's back, Stefan felt her begin to calm, her heartbeat and breathing became steady. "Face it; she's too brash for this kind of thing. This is calculated, Damon. Someone is moving all of us as pawns."

Damon looked upward and paused, "I never liked chess."

"She's asleep," Stefan shifted, feeling the slumber overtake her.

"About time."

"Damon," Stefan chided, looking down at her, "You drugged her?"

"I had to," he scoffed, shrugging. "If she was still a vamp, she'd be flippin' her humanity off, but she can't, so she's going to throw herself into a panic attack or give herself a stroke." With a sigh, he turned back to the growing flames. Her love for her friends and family was enviable, how fully she could devote herself to others. Damnit if she wasn't perfect in every way. What the hell would he do without her?

Gently, Stefan eased Elena down on the couch, covering her with a throw before joining Damon at the fireplace. "Now's probably not the best time to ask, but have you decided what you're going to do?"

"Yeah, I'm going to kill this murdering bastard, nice and slow."

"No. About the cure. Elena."

His movements measured, Damon continued to stare at the fire and gradually nodded, "I have."

"And?"

"And you're right, now isn't the best time." Simultaneously, both their phones began to chime. Glancing down at his own, Damon rolled his eyes, "Donovan. What does the quarterback need this time?"

Reading his message, Stefan glanced back grimly at Damon. "There's another body. There's been another murder."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Kai Parker felt vastly underappreciated. And irritated. Really irritated.

Rubbing his neck, he aimlessly wandered the woods that lead him back to his prison word home. He realized, with a grin, he had lost count of how many times he had been killed. He delighted himself in the pleasure of imagining all the ways he would kill those that wronged him. Damon Salvatore had most recently removed his head, resulting in his return to the 20th-century hell he had already traversed for so long. ' _He actually thought_ that _would rid the world of me forever,'_ he thought with a scoff, ' _idiot.'_ It would only be a matter of time before he found his way back, and then he would make them pay. All of them. Now he had nothing but time to plot all the fine details of his eventual homecoming. Years, decades, centuries ... it didn't matter. He would have his revenge, no matter how long he was forced to sit on it.

Complete isolation was his penalty for killing his twin sister Jo, amongst others, and promising to unleash hell on Earth. Sure, he understood their concern, but he hadn't counted on the coven working together to ensnare him back in purgatory. The Salvatores assistance in his incarceration earned them a spot at the top of his growing wish-slaughter list.

Stumbling over a displaced root in the ground, Kai swore and unleashed his pent up rage on the unsuspecting tree. Kicking it repeatedly, he felt some of the fury release. "God damn trees!" He continued to kick, "I don't need any more fucking trees in this forest!"

Suddenly, he stopped. Straightening himself, and his shirt, he brushed off his hands and took a somber breath. "I wasn't expecting you," he turned, a lone figure silently watching him. "In fact, I wasn't expecting to host _anyone_ anytime soon. But here you are. Here you _fucking_ are."

"It's time."

Walking past the figure, Kai nodded angrily, mumbling to himself as he entered the clearing next to the singular house. "Music to my ears."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Four days had passed since Caroline's death.

As Elena, Stefan, and Damon arrived the Salvatore house following her funeral, they solemnly entered the main room and Damon headed for the bar. "Day like today deserves drinks. Lots of 'em."

"I can't believe she's really gone," Elena mumbled absently, sitting on the couch. Her energy waning from the past few days, she felt the pure weight of exhaustion cross her form. Her mind had been blank at the funeral; the tears had flowed freely as she leaned against Bonnie. She choked through a painful eulogy, and lost herself in sobs as the beautiful music accentuated a heartfelt montage of all things Caroline. She had been absent in an aching haze since finding Caroline. When she would close her eyes, her mind would flash with images of the bloodied bedroom. Ceaselessly, her thoughts raced of this unknown murderer slowly crossing off names on an unknown list. As Damon offered her a drink, she eyed him suspiciously. "Drug free?"

"That was one time!" Shrugging with a grin, he handed it to her and offered another to Stefan.

"Actually, I'm going to pass. I think I'll head to the Grill and see how Matt and Jeremy are doing."

"Don't forget, we have April Young's funeral tomorrow," Elena called out over her shoulder as he made his way back to the front door. Thankfully, she hadn't found April like she found Caroline … unfortunately, Matt had been the one to stumble across that particular scene. Unable to shake the numbness that came from the shock and awe of so quickly losing those around her, she clenched her fists and willed her body to let go and relax.

"At this rate," Damon quipped, "we're going to run out of caskets in this town."

As the door shut, she went to Damon. Before he could bring his newly poured drink to his lips, Elena was there instead. "I need you," she breathed impatiently between frenzied kisses, her hands trailing across his chest and back. The necessity to feel and be felt was all she wanted, to be reminded she was still alive, and she craved him.

"You know me," he panted deliriously as her mouth went to tug on his ear, "always happy to help."

As Damon dropped his glass, the crystal shattered and echoed through the hall, but went unnoticed by them both. The buttons from her blouse toppled to the floor as Damon effortlessly split the garment in two. His hands went through her hair as he drew her head back, exposing her delicate neck. As his teeth brazenly grazed her skin, she felt her flesh react, sending a shockwave of sensation down her spine. Her breathing became euphoric to Damon, nearly sending him over the edge and into a pure frenzy of desire, yet he held on to the remaining shreds of control he could grasp. Lifting her to straddle his waist, he readily carried her upstairs to his bedroom.

Their lips hardly parted through the transition up the stairs and to his room, and as he collapsed onto his bed with her on top of him, he relinquished all control to her. If this is what she needed to feel like _Elena_ again, he was certainly willing to let her do as she may. There would always be time in the future to handle the troubles of Mystic Falls, but for now, his entire world revolved around her. Her needs were his needs. He felt his purpose for continuing what was once a purely miserable existence on this world now mattered, because of her. This feeling would have terrified him not long ago, to be so helplessly overpowered by his emotions and hold to her, yet now he couldn't imagine feeling any other way. He realized he didn't want to.

Breaking his mouth from her as she began to undress him, his eyes intently locked with hers, "I'll do it."

Elena froze, her hands halfway through yanking off his belt, and swallowed. "What?"

"I never told you …" he took her hand from his waist, his fingers locking with hers, "what I said to you the day I died when Bonnie and I went to our 1994 limbo." Confused, Elena sat up, still straddling him and half naked. "I was with you in the crypt before we left." As she nodded at the memory, he continued, "The thought of leaving you was excruciating, and the only solace was that I was able to say goodbye, despite the feeling I was talking through a one-way mirror."

"I felt you. I knew you were there," her hand reached out and rubbed his cheek. He reached up and placed his own over hers and felt the joy of her simple touch he was unable to feel not long ago.

"Even though you couldn't hear me, I had to say it. I spent what little time I had memorizing every faint and subtle feature of your face and had to be okay with it being the last time I would see you." Again, she nodded, fleetingly remembering the anguish of that day. "I said, 'You are by far the greatest thing that ever happened to me in my 173 years on this earth. But I get to die knowing that I was loved not just by anyone. By you, Elena Gilbert. It is the epitome of a fulfilled life. It's never gonna get any better than this. I peaked. I love you, Elena.'" As he watched her eyes begin to tear, he took a breath and continued, "I meant it then and I mean it now. I'll do it. I _want_ to spend the rest of my life with you, even if it is only another 60 years. I _want_ to take the cure. I _want_ to be human. I don't want to waste any more of this life not connected to you."

Unable to form words from his passionate revelation, she brought herself back to him, their mouths reuniting as her hands continued removing his clothes. His affirmation drove her passion to another degree, her body reacting to his words in a fervent bolt of adoration. She hadn't realized until that moment just how badly she had wanted him to say those words, to mirror her own feelings she had for him, the same longing of yearning to spend every moment she had with him by her side.

"Isn't this the sight?" Kai observed, casually leaning against the door frame and tossing grapes into his mouth. Nearly flipping herself over the bed as she scrambled to cover up, Elena yelped in surprise. "Cheaper than HBO," he winked. Not caring to be decent, Damon remained unmoving in his boxers, his brow furrowed as he blinked twice at Kai.

"That's not _possible_ ," Damon looked over to Elena in pure disbelief, "I took off his _head!"_

"Please, don't stop on my account, things were just getting good, I could tell," again he winked at her.

In one rapid movement, Damon was at Kai, his hand gripped around his neck as he lifted him into the air. "We were kind of in the middle of a moment," he grunted, "so, if you don't mind, I'm just gonna kill you again so we can get back to it." Unflinching, Kai didn't fight back or struggle against the grip. Instead, he smiled at Damon and with a snap of his fingers was freed. Damon was gone.

"Damon!" Elena called out, looking around the room as he instantly disappeared.

"Oh, don't worry, he's nearby … sadly, I don't have enough power at the moment to send him back to '94." Finishing the last of his grapes, Kai smirked and vanished. The room fell silent as Elena disappeared with him.


	6. Chapter 6

_Thanks for reading, please leave some feedback! :)_

* * *

 **Chapter 6**

It took Damon approximately 45 seconds to regain his bearings after being transported to the middle of the woods outside the estate before he reentered his house. In one swift measure, he was back inside his bedroom. "God _damn it!"_ After the initial survey of the room and realizing Kai had vanished with Elena, he snatched his phone off the nightstand and began texting Stefan.

 _\- Get back here._

 _\- Why?_

 _\- Kai took Elena._

 _\- Kai?_

 _\- Just get back here._

As he finished notching his belt and putting on his leather jacket, Damon heard the front door open and the familiar footsteps of his brother. "That son of a bitch took her, Stef."

Stefan watched his brother's eyes become irate as his feral side threatened to take over. It wouldn't take much more for Damon to either go rogue or savage. Angry Damon was manageable; however, vengeful Damon was unhinged. "Easy. What do you mean? You killed him; 'sliced and diced' were your words, if I remember correctly."

"I don't know, but that son of a _bitch_ has her." Damon realized he was pacing. He took her. He took his Elena. His one reason for holding it all together. If that thread unraveled, he would be utterly shattered.

"Well, did he say what he wants? If it's really Kai, he has to have some kind of agenda in mind. He wouldn't take her without having a need for her."

"If he's using her to get back at me …" he trailed off as his stomach began to churn. The notion of Elena being used as a pawn for his punishment was unbearable. The pangs of guilt for her being in this predicament were already starting to eat away at him.

"Relax." Hands outstretched, his movements were measured to help calm his brother. "We don't know what he wants, but seeing as how he _didn't_ kill you both immediately is probably a good sign."

Damon held his brother's gaze for a moment, his eyes softening with worry. "She's human, Stef."

With a frown, Stefan agreed, "I know."

Damon thought for a moment. "That glib asshole was standing in my doorway eating grapes. He was waiting for me to grab him so he could siphon what he needed from me to have enough energy to get rid of me." Taking out his phone, he dialed Alaric. "Ric, I'm sure this is the last thing you want to hear right now, but we just had a visit from our friendly neighborhood psychopath; your momentary brother-in-law."

" _What!?"_ Alaric's jolt reverberated through the receiver. Stefan didn't need vampire hearing to catch it from across the hallway.

"Any idea where he would have taken her?"

As Damon brainstormed ideas with Alaric, Stefan retrieved weaponry from the throne. Casually, he mused, _'three stakes, a vervain gun, and Jeremy's crossbow … ought to be enough, but probably won't be.'_ Rifling through the rest of the hidden weapons, he stashed an additional item in his pocket before recovering the compartment.

"All right, let's go," Damon motioned towards his parked Camaro as he tucked his phone into his pocket.

* * *

The world was blurry as Elena slowly opened her heavy eyes. Slowly, images of Kai and Damon before the world went black were drawn from memory, a hazy glimmer of the last few flashes she could evoke. Head throbbing and woozy, her eyes squinted as she searched around for anything she could use to defend herself. Rolling from the bed she had been placed on, she noted contemptuously she was now dressed. Once on the floor, she crawled to a nearby chair. Legs weak and tottering, she attempted to grip the edges of the seat to assist in heaving herself up. Letting out a frail whimper, Elena rubbed her temples and willed the agonizing pulsation to leave.

Taking in her surroundings, Elena deduced her whereabouts were most likely a house, somewhere outside of town. ' _If I'm even in Mystic Falls anymore …'_ she thought drolly, ' _Let alone Virginia.'_ The bedroom she was in was taken care of with small flower portraits dotting the walls, the bed tediously made and decorated with adorning pillows. No electronic devices, she observed, nothing she could use to reach out for help. Glancing back at a window over the bed she absently shook off the idea of a window escape once spotting a heavy lock draped across the latch.

"What do you want, Kai!?" She called out, her voice hoarse and jagged. "Just get on with it!"

Nothing but silence followed.

Feeling the reserve to attempt standing again, she slowly eased from the chair and used the armrests to provide additional support. ' _If there was ever a time to have vamp speed and healing powers …_ ' After an excruciating hammering from her sudden change in altitude, the pain subsided enough to allow her to stand and reach for the door. Laughing inwardly at herself she cursed as the door refused to budge. ' _Worth a shot.'_

Then she heard the footsteps.

Up the stairs and down the hall, the footsteps steadily approached, heavy and restrained. The doorknob to her room jiggled before it was met with three swift hammer knocks. "Elena!?"

"Matt!?"

"Yeah! Hang on, I'm gonna break the door down, stand back." As she moved away from the door, the oak split and cracked as he bore his weight into the solid framing. As he entered, she went to him and felt the safety of her friend. "Are you okay? What are you doing here? We got a tip there was someone on this property – it's been abandoned for months." Returning the embrace, he held on, allowing her solace in his arms.

"I'm fine, Kai took me …" she trailed off as she tried to decipher the timeline. "I have no idea how long ago. Can I borrow your phone and call Damon? I need to let him know I'm okay. I need to find out if he's okay, Kai made him disappear before he took me."

"Sure, it's in my truck parked outside." As Elena tried to break away to head downstairs, he held on, "Hang on, just hang on." Still, he hugged her, feeling her relax against him. "You've been through enough. More than anyone should have to go through. The last thing you needed to add to that list is another kidnapping."

"I'm fine, Matt, really," she assured with a slight smile, "I promise. I don't know where Kai is, but we should get out of here before he gets back."

"Yeah, you're right," he nodded, leading her back downstairs.

Once inside his truck, Elena frantically dialed Damon. After a single ring, he picked up. "Damon!? Are you okay?"

The silence in the cab of his truck allowed Matt to overhear the other end of the line. "Yeah," he could hear the release in Damon's voice as he let a very relieved breath free. "I'm fine. Where are you? Are you okay? Jesus, Elena you had me scared shitless."

"I'm fine, Matt found me at this abandoned house. He's bringing me back to your place."

"Wait, Donovan?"

"Yeah, he said they received a tip," Glancing at Matt, she smiled gratefully.

There was a pause. "Elena." Damon's voice was softer, yet more succinct, "Where are you." It wasn't a question, it was a demand. Matt couldn't help but smirk at the urgency.

"I told you, I don't know, some farmhouse," she shrugged as she began wrangling her seatbelt with one hand. Turning to Matt, she sighed, "Let's get out of here." The keys jingled momentarily in his hand as he too buckled in.

"Elena." Again, the urgency in his voice almost made Matt laugh. "You need to get out of there."

"We are, we're coming to you."

Elena heard Damon's breath through the receiver, it was fast and anxious. "Elena, you have to run…" Brow furrowed, confusion washed over her. Damon's voice was hushed, his tone fervent and apprehensive, "Matt is standing right next to me."


	7. Chapter 7

The line went dead.

"ELENA! Ele—," Damon looked down at his phone and nearly threw it across the room, "DAMN IT!" he shouted instead.

"What was that about?" Matt asked, his own urgency increasing. As he, Ric, Stefan and Damon were developing a plan at Ric's apartment, they had received Elena's call.

"Who has her?" Stefan asked, watching Damon uselessly try to call Elena back. After the second attempt and immediate voicemail greeting, Damon let out a frustrated yell before turning to Matt.

"Why is Mystic Falls a magnet for this shit? Did you know you had a doppelgänger?" At Matt's pure bewilderment, Damon nodded, "You do quarterback, and whoever he is, he has Elena."

"Oh, he's not just a doppelgänger," Kai interrupted, strolling in and taking a seat on the couch, "Ooo, this is comfy, Ric."

As the others did a double take, Ric was immediately ignited, "You _son of a bitch!"_ Leaping across the room, Ric pounced on Kai and instantaneously threw them both onto the floor. Fists flying, Ric managed to land three solid blows to his face before Damon and Stefan interceded and ripped them apart. "Let me go! That son of a bitch killed my family!" Hysterical, Ric's eyes flooded with rage.

Kai dabbed the blood off his lip and laughed, sending a warning to Damon over Stefan's shoulder, "Someone better compel him to calm down before I leave, and you lose the only lead you have on finding Elena."

Turning Ric around to face him, Damon's eyes met with Ric's, "Just for today, forget you hate him. Forget what he did to Jo and the babies." Still, Ric struggled against him.

"I'm on vervain, you idiot! You can't make me forget this! I'm going to kill that bastard right now!" With a sigh, Damon let Ric go, only to usher a blow to the back of his head, knocking him out cold.

"It's so much easier when they just _let_ us compel them," rolling his eyes, he caught Ric's limp form, and gently placed him in his nearby La-Z-Boy. Turning his attention to Kai, Damon's voice was low and threatening, "You. Start talking, or I'll tie you down and let Ric do as he pleases."

Returning to his spot on the couch, Kai continued to clean up the blood still trickling from his lip, "Like I said, he's not just a doppelgänger, and if he has Elena, there might not be much you can do for her at this point."

Yanking Kai off the couch by his collar, Damon brought him close and glared, "I'm not the patient one here, nor am I willing to waste any more time while you banter idly on the couch. _What do you know_." It wasn't a question, it was a menacing command, as Damon managed his biting tone through clenched teeth. Stefan placed a hand on his shoulder, a firm reminder to ease; that they needed him despite his every desire to rip him apart.

"I'd rather _show_ you." Before Damon could stop him, Kai's hands were on his temple, invading his mind and implanting his own memories within his subconscious.

 _The world around was indistinct, the only image clearly defined was that which stood before him. As Damon's mind raced to catch up, he silently watched the form before him slowly come into focus. Kai stood next to him, his arms crossed as he took a steady breath. Passengers in this memory of Kai, Damon was unable to do anything other than watch. His sole purpose was to observe. A woman, covered in a sheen of sweat, cried out. Blood flooded Damon's senses, his eyes reacting before he could restrain himself. Another woman, quickly helping to ease her thrashing held a compress against her forehead._

 _"_ _Just breathe, sweetie, that's it."_

 _With a frantic cry from the woman, another cry began as a baby was born. Its wailing filled the room as the women rushed to clean it and bundle it in soft linens. Carrying the baby to the mother, they doted, "she's beautiful."_

 _"_ _Josette," the mother breathed with relief, "My sweet Josette."_

 _Damon eyed Kai, suddenly realizing where they were. Nodding back to the woman, Kai whispered, "Pay attention. This is where it gets good."_

 _With a few more labored pushes, another cry filled the room. Another rush to clean and wrap, and another baby delivered to the mother's arms. "Malachai," she cooed, holding both babies on her chest._

 _With a grin and theatrical sniffle, Kai wiped away pretend tears, "It's just so heartwarming, isn't it? Where it all began."_

 _The midwives in the room took the babies from the mother's arms and cleared away the stained bedsheets beneath her. "Ok, Colleen," one began, "You're almost done. The third baby is crowning."_

 _Damon snapped towards Kai incredulously. "Third baby?"_

 _"_ _Shh. Don't interrupt."_

 _As the third baby entered the world and joined his siblings, Damon's mind raced. Kai continued to watch the scene proudly, his own reverie holding as they spent a few more moments suspended in time._

Breaking free from the memory, Damon pushed off of Kai as his trance was released. Falling back against Matt, Damon eyed Kai and allowed his thoughts to clasp. Everything had changed. Everything had new meaning; new ominous meaning. Three. Kai wasn't born a twin, he was a triplet.

Kai smiled at Damon, "Any more questions about who has Elena?"

* * *

Once again, Elena woke, only this time she was in a familiar place. Her eyes blinked, focusing against the groggy memories of being in a truck with Matt and on the phone with Damon. Hazy from what she recalled, she didn't remember returning to the Salvatore estate, nor climbing back into Damon's bed. Straining against a band of sunlight creeping through the drawn curtains, Elena rubbed her eyes and felt a tumble through her stomach. Attempting to sit up, she immediately fell back against the pillows, ' _Why does it feel like I finished a bottle of wine?'_ With a groan, she turned over and closed her eyes.

"Here," she glanced up, seeing Matt's form before her, handing her a cup of tea, "drink."

Shakily, she accepted the mug. "What happened?"

"I don't know," he sat beside her, watched her take slow sips. "We were on our way back when you fell asleep."

"I feel like I was at a kegger at Whitmore," she groaned. Glancing around Damon's room, she sighed, "Do you know where my phone is? I need to call Damon. I need to make sure he's okay." Again, she sipped.

"You don't remember talking to him? You were on the phone with him almost the entire way back. He's fine – said he would meet you here. You fell asleep, so I brought you upstairs."

"Thank you, Matt," she smiled at him, "I'm so glad I can always count on you." Setting down the tea on the nearby nightstand, Elena rubbed her temples and sighed.

Moving closer, he put his arm around Elena, hugging her in reassurance while softly rubbing her back. "Shh," he soothed, "It's okay." As she returned the hug in gratitude, he lifted her chin towards his and impetuously kissed her lips.

"Matt," she nearly laughed, pulling away, "What are you doing?" Blinking twice, she tried shaking off a sudden wave of lightheadedness.

"Shh," he repeated, "it's okay."

He brought her back to him, this time kissing her forcefully, tugging on her hair and pushing her back against the pillows. The world started to spin as Elena's focus began to wane once again. Reaching out feebly, unable to push him off of her, she knocked the tea from the nightstand and it shattered on the floor. Moving over her, he held her down with his weight, continuing to kiss and stroke her as she struggled. " _Stop!"_ she breathed against his lips, her will and strength beginning to fade. "Matt, stop, please!" she managed. Her words slurred as her eyes began to slide with heavy lids.

"I'm not Matt," he whispered against her ear, his breath hot and impatient. Her heart raced, slamming against her ribcage and thundering in her ears. As he began to unbuckle his belt, Elena felt his hands traveling across her body, undressing her as she grew limp. Numb, and slowly losing herself to whatever drug he put in her tea, her final flickers were that of him and his rough hands. In agony, she lost the final grips of reality and slid into an oblivion of blackness.


End file.
